1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bus bar system having several bus bars, which are spaced apart from each other in a first connecting plane, are of an essentially square cross section and have T-shaped connecting grooves cut into all outsides for a connection with electrical installation devices having flat connectors in a second connecting plane, which is arranged perpendicularly to the first connecting plane.
2. Description of Related Art
Bus bars and electrical installation devices of this type are preferably used for high current strength and are designed with appropriate large cross sections in current-carrying areas. If, for example, the bus bars are arranged in a horizontal connecting plane of a switchgear cabinet, and if the installation device to be connected which has flat connectors located in one plane is to be installed in the switchgear cabinet in a vertical connecting plane, it is necessary to use specially angled and/or bent off connecting contacts between the bus bars and the flat connectors, because the respective connecting points for the individual bus bars and the associated flat connectors are spatially arranged differently from each other. Thus the connecting contacts can only be made after the installation location of the installation device is set. However, this presents considerable difficulties at the place of employment of the switchgear cabinet, particularly if the connecting contacts are formed as flat rails for great current strengths.
It is one object of this invention to provide a bus bar system of the type mentioned above but wherein a connection between the bus bars and the flat connectors of an installation device is made with prefabricated parts, even if the bus bars are arranged in two connecting planes which extend perpendicularly with respect to each other.
In accordance with this invention, this object is achieved with insulating bows, or insulating chassis, which can be fastened on the side of the bus bars facing the installation device at the spacing of the flat connectors of the installation device, which extend perpendicular to a linear direction of the bus bars and can have a cutout in the area of each bus bar. A contact piece, which can be connected with the associated bus bar, can be inserted into each insulating chassis only in the area of an associated bus bar. The insulating chassis receives a connecting leg of connecting elbows, which can be or are connected together with the associated contact piece and with the associated bus bar. Together with a connecting leg projecting from the insulating chassis, the connecting contacts form connecting points for the flat connectors of the installation device in the second fastening plane, which extends perpendicularly with respect to the first fastening plane.
Connecting points to the individual bus bars can be established by the insulation chassis, the contact pieces and the connecting elbows, with a plane that is aligned with the connecting plane of the flat connectors of the installation device, for example, that extends parallel with the installation device. The insulation chassis, the contact pieces and the connecting bows can be prefabricated and provided as kits for defined maximum current strengths.
Fastening of the contact pieces and of the connecting elbows with the insulating bows to the bus bars is accomplished in accordance with one embodiment because the connecting grooves of the bus bar receive sliding nuts with threaded receivers, into which connecting screws can be screwed which can be or are inserted through fastening bores of the connecting elbows and the contact pieces.
In this embodiment, the lateral legs of the insulating chassis form a receiver for the connecting legs of the connecting elbows, which extends transversely to the linear direction of the bus bars.
So that uniform connecting elbows can be used, in a further embodiment the connecting legs of the connecting elbows have a row of fastening bores, at least one fastening bore of which is arranged in the area of the cutouts assigned to the bus bars. Therefore the spatial orientation of the insulating bows and the connecting elbows received in them in the first connecting plane of the bus bars remains the same, but it is assured that the connections with the associated bus bars can be individually made because appropriate cutouts in the insulating bows are occupied by contact pieces.
The connection of the installation device is simplified because the end areas of the junction legs of the connecting elbows have connecting bores, which are matched to the fastening bores in the flat connectors of the installation device.
In a further embodiment, the cutouts in the insulating bows can be provided as needed by partial areas which can be broken out and thus it is possible to create the cutout for the contact piece only at the desired location. Then access to bus bars, which are not to be connected, is prevented thus improving insulation toward the connecting elbow, which is not involved.
In a further adaptation option for the two connecting planes the junction legs of the connecting elbows can be extended by flat rails for increasing a distance between the contact places for the installation device perpendicularly with respect to the first connecting plane of the bus bars. The flat rails can be or are connected with the flat connectors of the installation device using Z-shaped transition pieces.
In one embodiment, the connecting elbows are assembled from several individual connecting elbows, having connecting legs that rest on top of each other and junction legs spaced apart from each other. A space between the junction legs is matched to the thickness of the flat connectors of the installation device. Unoccupied spaces are filled with spacing contact pieces. The flat rails and the transition pieces are put together from several spaced apart individual flat rails and individual transition pieces, wherein their spacing is matched to the thickness of the junction legs of the connecting bows and of the flat connectors of the installation device. These individual elements can be used for maximum current strengths of arbitrary size when one or several of these individual elements are combined to form a connecting elbow, a flat rail and a Z-shaped transition piece.
The individual elements can be maintained at a distance from each other using special spacing elements.
Contacts between the bus bar and the contact piece can be improved because the contact pieces are designed in a bow shape and form a receiver for the bus bar with their lateral legs.